1. Field of the Invention.
This invention relates generally to air-cleaning devices for use in a motor vehicle such as for a car, truck, or airplane; and in particular, to air-cleaning devices of a type adapted to clean the air fed through the passenger-compartment or cockpit thereof, via existing air-ducting aperture(s).
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is commonly accepted that motor-vehicle internal combustion engines must have clean air to operate properly, essentially to avoid costly engine repairs. However, providing clean air for the human occupants of motor vehicle has been largely ignored except in a few expensive luxury motorcars. Presently therefore, the average motorist cannot attain the "luxury" of pre-filtered passenger compartment air; so are constantly exposed en masse to the road-vehicle air pollution such as automobile exhaust fumes, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, oxides of nitrogen, soot, rubber-tire dusts, and brake liner asbestos fibers. In addition, mildew and mold tend to grow on heat exchangers of moist air-conditioners or warm heaters, resulting in moldy spores being blown into the passenger compartment through the air outlet ducts and apertures. The moldy smell is most noticeable immediately after the heater or air conditioner fan is first turned on. In addition, the dust and pollutants within the passenger compartment get stirred up by the air blown into the passenger compartment and the dusty, polluted air end up getting recirculated. Perhaps the reason people feel so exhausted and tired after a long drive on crowded highways may be due to the inhalation of automobile exhaust fumes, which include many cancer-causing chemicals. Hence, a system devised to ameliorate this condition would contribute to a motorist's well being and thus increase automobile safety. In the past, practically all efforts to cleanse air being discharged into the passenger compartment have been directed toward placing a filter within the air inlet or ducting system thereto, as have been patented previously.
By Helwit in U.S. Pat. No. 3,941,034 (filed: July 1974), who shows a "filter attachment for automobile passenger compartment air intake"; which is essentially a cowl-intake situated OEM (original equipment manufacture) type arrangement, wherein a laminated porous full-flow paper filter is interspersed with activated charcoal. Therefore, the filter is positionally incapable of filtering, nor can it filter out contaminants recirculating within the vehicle's interior.
By Bach in French Pat. #2,636,013 (filed Feburary 1989), who shows both a screw-on and a tapered universally fitting dust-filter cartridge, either to be adapted to the passenger compartment air-induction inlet of a vehicle; therefore still not addressing the need to filter the contaminants prevailing within the existing ducting passageways.
By Arold in U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,356 (filed: July 1991, to Mercedes-Benz), who shows a "passenger compartment air filter"; which is made to install within an air duct serving to draw in stale air from the passenger compartment for recirculation, so as to treat secondary conditions of the air prior to its being reintroduced into the passenger compartment air/re-entry ducts. However, the system is not retrofitable to aftermarket installation, nor is it ideally situated at the final outlet stage of the air duct system.
By Kowalczyk in U.S. Pat. No. 5,192,346 (filed: July 1992), who shows an "air-purifier pleated filter to stop pollution for passengers inside of a motor vehicle"; which is again designed to provide a replaceable filtering media staged deep within the ducting system.
By Gould in U.S. Pat. No. 5,350,444 (filed April 1993), who shows a "filtered air intake for a passenger vehicle"; wherein an air-inlet and filtering apparatus for the passenger compartment is located at the cowl area beneath the hood, so cannot actually filter out those contaminants prevailing within the duct system where it enters the cabin.
By Chiba in U.S. Pat. No. 5,368,620 (filed August 1993) who shows a "device for cleaning surrounding air fed into passenger compartment of a motor vehicle"; wherein an air-inlet and filtering apparatus for the passenger compartment is located at the cowl area beneath the hood, so like the previous example does not actually filter out those contaminants found within the ducting system where it enters the cabin.
By Hein in German Pat. #4,303,693 (filed: September 1993), who shows an electrostatic cleaning device, with an air filtering element again adapted to fit at the air inlet stage, not at the air outlet stage of the air duct system.
The preceding filtering apparatus also have the disadvantage of requiring OEM (Original Equip. Mfg.) modification to the vehicle structure; hence, are not really adaptable for retrofitting of an existing operating vehicle. In addition, the prior art filtering described cannot effectively capture the mildew and mold tending to fester upon the heat-exchangers of moist air conditioners or heaters blown into the passenger compartment via air outlet ducts.
Therefore, in full consideration of the preceding patent review, there is determined a need for an improved form of device to which these patents have been largely addressed. The instant inventor hereof believes his newly improved passenger air filtering device exhibits certain advantages as shall be revealed in the subsequent portion of this instant disclosure.